The title character in Carmen is quickly becoming a signature role for this mezzo. She was last seen singing the role in San Diego Opera’s Taste of Opera
performance. Ms. Cutright played the famous gypsy girl with Opera Neo in San
Diego, and the following year with Enid Symphony Orchestra in Oklahoma.
Ashley has a passion for contemporary music. She sang a lead role in the
premiere of Noon at Dusk, with the Kallisti Project in San Diego. She joined
Urban Arias in Washington DC in the lead role of Hannah in the opera, As One,
and reprised the role with Anchorage Opera shortly after. She was a studio artist
with Tulsa Opera, and her assignments included Stephano in Romeo et Juliette,
Tisbe in La Cenerentola, Chief Elder in The Giver, and Catherine Wright
in Shining Brow. In her last season with Tulsa Opera she performed the role of
Mercedes in Carmen; Jordan Baker in The Great Gatsby; Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro. Ashley was an artist in residence with Opera North where she
performed the role of Cecilia March in Little Women and Alisa in Lucia di
Lammermoor. Ms. Cutright sang with Skylark Opera where she performed the
role of Katisha in The Mikado. Ashley was an artist in residence with Pensacola
Opera where she performed the role of Berta in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and
Ottavia in L’incoronazione di Poppea. Ashley was an apprentice artist with Des
Moines Metro Opera where she sang the role of Sister Mathilde in Dialogues of
the Carmelites; Olga in Eugene Onegin; and performed the role of Papagena
in The Magic Flute with Opera Iowa. Her other opera credits include Zita
in Gianni Schicchi, Sorceress in Dido and Aeneas, Florence Pike in Albert
Herring, Third Lady in The Magic Flute, Newspaper Woman in Les Mamelles de Tiresias, Lolette in La Rondine, Ellen in Three Sisters, and the role of Katia in the world-premiere of The Singing Violin. Ashley was a finalist in the Dallas Opera Guild Competition and won the encouragement award in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Competition. She was also awarded a grant through the Schuyler Foundation for Career Bridges. Ms. Cutright holds a Master of Music degree in vocal performance from Manhattan School of Music.